Jon Christensen, director of the Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies at UCLA, told the Los Angeles Times that river revitalization can be part of a “green gentrification cycle” as new development pushes out old communities. Like the chicken-and-egg paradox, it’s hard to tell which comes first: the amenities surrounding the L.A. River or the more affluent people seeking them. Read and see more about UCLA in today’s Salon, the BBC and others.

More highlights from UCLA in the News: July 13, 2026

What is cyclosporiasis? | KNX-AM

“Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness that's caused by the cyclospora parasite and it can cause very frequent and explosive diarrhea that can last from a few days to more than a month. And one of the things that is unique is it can be something that reoccurs. It doesn't completely go away; it kind of slows down and then comes back,” said UCLA’s Anne Rimoin.

Who will win the midterms? | New York Times

“Given how calcified, or stuck, our politics has become, I expect a modest Democratic pickup. At this stage, my rule was to examine the close races in each chamber and assume Democrats win the competitive seats they already hold, pick up close seats if they won them recently and otherwise lose,” said UCLA’s Lynn Vavreck.

Trump fires remaining election commission members, freezing agency | Salon

“It’s an open question about the EAC and the [Federal Election Commission],” said Rick Hasen, an election law professor at UCLA. “The question has not been tested as to whether political entities created with bipartisan balance might be subject to another exception.” (Hasen was also featured by MS Now.)

ICE unmarked car tactics face new scrutiny after shooting | Houston Chronicle   

“ICE has repeatedly made claims that its officers used force after being physically threatened by a person in a car-only to have those claims undermined by video evidence,” said Joanna Schwartz, a UCLA law professor who studies police misconduct. 

123-year-old air conditioning system’s lessons for managing rising heat | BBC

“Cooling is the number one most important approach to reduce the health risks of heat – and often what's required is air conditioning, or active cooling,” says David Eisenman, a physician and health researcher at the University of California Los Angeles’ Fielding School of Public Health.

In Boyle Heights, the smoke is gone. Anger, stench, questions remain | SCNG

The disaster further burdens a working-class community already weighed down by environmental and public health inequities, according to a UCLA brief, the second in a series examining the impacts of the Lineage fire. The report, released on June 30 by the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute and the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge, examined demographic, socioeconomic, housing, health and environmental conditions in the smoke advisory area identified after the fire. “Emergency response cannot stop at containment,” said study co-author Arturo Vargas Bustamante, faculty research director at the institute. (UCLA’s Silvia González was also quoted.)

USAID cuts will have severe effects on healthcare | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Researchers have estimated that in 2025, because of USAID programs, 13 million malaria cases were prevented, saving countless lives. That program is now shuttered. A major study from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health in 2025 estimated that USAID cuts could result in 14 million deaths, including 4.5 million children under 5, by 2030.

Kindergarten math test | LAist

Megan Franke, professor of education and vice chair of professional programs at UCLA, said one challenge is that many standardized assessments do not reflect all students’ understanding of mathematical concepts. “Young children solve problems differently than adults do, and they don't all solve problems in the same way at the same time,” Franke said.

How to make the beach your gym | New York Times

Compared with exercising on a hard, even surface indoors or even at a park, exercising on sand works your muscles differently, helping to build lower-body strength and improve stability and balance, said Dr. Josh Goldman, a sports medicine specialist and team physician for UCLA Athletics.